Random Acts of Thoughtfulness
Several years ago, I was presented with the nametag in the photo above. I wasn’t the only one — dozens of these tags with different sayings on them were passed out that night. The goal was simply to make people feel good about themselves.
It would not have mattered which sticker I received, I’ve kept it all these years because it still brings a smile to my face and makes me feel like I matter.
The same person who came up with this idea would go to the Dollar Store and pick up random items. He would then present them to people as “prizes” for various things. My favorite was the time he gave a homeless woman a paintbrush and told her it was because she painted the world with beautiful colors.
This woman lived in the bushes outside of one of the local churches. When our group showed up she screamed and yelled at us — we were invading her turf after all. Once she received her paintbrush however, she joined us for dinner and told us wonderful stories about her life. She laughed and enjoyed conversing with others.
All it took to bring her back to humanity was someone telling her she mattered.
These are simple, random acts of kindness that took a bit of imagination, but very little effort. They continue to affect the lives of everyone involved.
